The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-22
WAGES OF THE COAL-MINERS
An Advance of Five Cents Is Agreed
Upon by Interstate ArbitratOrs.
The Increase of Wages, However, Will Not Be
Demanded if 1t Is Demonstrated that
Operators Cannot Afford to Pay 1t.

The interstate beard Of arbitration of the
Confederation of Miners of Indiana, Ohio, 1lli-
nois and Pennsylvana met az the Bates House,
yesterday. and after q long and tedious session.
agreed upon . scale of prices. Several months
ago the Miners Federation decided to ask for an
advance of 10 cents per ton. The operators re-
fused TO grant the advance and a meeting OF
the arbitration board was called at Columbus.
o., in April to settle the matter A two-days
session resulted in agreement. and the meet
ing adjourned until May Is, at Chicago. The
meeting there. also, failed to settle the points of
difference. and there was another adjournment
to this city yesterday. The following gentle-
men were present: Ohio-Miners, John Mcbride.
Christopher Evans operators, Oscar Townsend.
and II. L. Chapman. both members of
the interstate board. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. j. K.
Kendall and w. 81. Zimmerman; miner. Hous-
ton. observation-disclosures George W.
Schluederbere and +. II. Sanford; miner. John
Britt Illinois-Miners Daniel McGlough and
T. j. Armstrong.
Oscar Townsend, of Cleveland. presided, and
Christopher Evans acted secretary. It was
reported that majority Of the operators were
paying the advance, but there were few in
Illinois that steadily refused to comply with the
demand. The operators present seemed dis
posed to settle tho differences in amicable
way, and after going over all the grounds OF
complaint with care. the following agreements
was signed by all present:
In view of the fact that the conditions upon which
advance was authorized BY the Columbus conven
ton have been complied with regard the base
scale of 1887 devoid Of advance as in force and
binding upon both operators and muers but IN recog
milton of the effort made by the miners to obtain the
advance by bringing all districts to this scale and
further evidence of belief in the funda-
mental principle of organization. arbitration
and Cancellation, we hereby declare advance of
cents the base scale fixed at the Columbus
convention of April 49, 1887. for six months. from
May 1. 1887, to Nov. L. 1887; but it, Nov. l.
1887 the mining districts of Illinois not paying
further advance of cents shall not be granted but
the price from Nov. 1. 1887. to May /, 1888 shall
remain the from May 1, 1887, to Nov L.
1887.
The committee finished it's work last evening.
and the members left for homo on the night
train. The settlements OF the long standing diff
ference. while not what the miners would have
desired was very satisfactory to them.
Chris. Evans. the secretary, is from one of the
greatest mining regions of the country-New
Straitsburg, o. The miners of that State he
said have had much tn contend with. but he be-
lieved they would be reasonably well satisfied
with the agreement the committee had reached.
AS general thing, they were opposed to strikes.
and were willing to abide by whatever the arbl
tration committee did. Miners from the other
States agreed with him in his views. The oper
ators also well satisfied with the agreement.